While the surprise decision to award full points in the eight-minute second British GT race at Oulton Park hindered a number of pairs, one team it benefitted was the #50 HHC Motorsport run Ginetta G55 GT4.
Qualifying on Saturday had left Pro driver Will Burns third, before a penalty for the polesitter saw him start second on the grid for the second race. With the event held entirely behind the safety car, Burns and the HHC crew were still second in class when the red flag came out, later awarding them with the full result.
While this was a surprise for the crew, it made up for a disappointing race one in which the #50 suffered a differential failure with a few minutes to go.
AM driver Mike Newbould had qualified fifteenth and although maintained position, left Burns, in his first British GT event with a lot of ground to make up. Unfortunately the car failure put an end to any strong finish.
“There were a lot of positives to take from Oulton Park. As a team, we showed we have fantastic pace in our Ginetta G55 GT4’s as we got a HHC Motorsport car on the front row of the grid for each of the races.” started Burns.
Stepping across from the BTCC, he was immediately one of the fastest GT4 drivers on raw pace, though will be aiming for further podiums later in the season.
“I am really pleased with how much Mike has progressed over the winter. We have gelled as team-mates from the word go and it’s great to see him develop and continue to get faster every session in the car.
“On a personal level, while a little surprised to be in the top two first time out, I’m delighted to be back fighting at the front in a Ginetta following a tough 2017 season. We will continue to keep pushing for the front as a pair and we look forward to seeing what Rockingham brings.”
